Bell, to use or not to use.

[TWBNK]

I was cycling down a shared pedestrian / cycle path the other day, my speed would have been around the 8-10 mph mark as I was winding down from a fairly long ride before I arrived home and I came up on an elderly couple who were walking in the same direction as I was riding.

The path is the width of a single laned road and they were walking on one side in single file with about 10 or 15 feet between them. As I passed the gentleman in the rear he made a point of over reacting to my presence and calling out to his wife that there was a cyclist coming. She then made a point of over reacting to my presence and snottilly said to me 'I didn't hear your bell dear'

I saw no reason to ring the bell as I was passing no closer than six foot away from them and at a speed that was certainly not unreasonable for the shared path. If I had been going faster I would have slowed to pass them anyway.

So, I suppose what I would like to know is what sort of etiquette do most people follow when on a shared path, is it worth giving a little ting on the bell even if you have more than enough space to pass someone without hinderance?

 

[Fnaar]

I have a bell on each of my bikes (yes, on the roadie too, and I have mudguards also ) and I always give it a quick ding (oo'er) if I think that my sudden appearance might otherwise give someone a shock... so if they are peds, or also other cyclists (did this only yesterday, in fact, was gradually catching a guy up as we ascended a long hill... I caught him half-way up, gave a ding, and he nearly shat himself, he was in dreamland )
If they have earphones on, or are otherwise oblivious to my presence (e.g. engrossed in chips, or just not paying attention to the world around them, or in dreamland like the cyclist chappy), then tough titty poo poo, I've done my bit! In practice, I reckon most peeps appreciate it.

 

[Keith Oates]

Doesn't do any harm, although some may think you're getting at them I suppose!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[fossyant]

Bells........ just shout "excuse me, then thanks".....bells tisk.....tisk.....

 

[rich p]

I agree. I always think bells sound a bit demanding, like a car horn. I prefer to slow down and engage in a bit of short verbal pleasantry.

 

[numbnuts]

I have a bell, but I normally shout "coming through" and always say thank you even if it a kid

 

[Carwash]

I have a bell, but I normally shout "coming through" and always say thank you even if it a kid

I always say, 'thank you,' especially if it was a kid. Encourages good manners in the young'uns, donchaknow.

 

[marinyork]

I wouldn't have used it in those circumstances. I'd say don't use your bell. It's so 19th century. I find it quite aggressive and if you use it it reinforces such people's prejudices that you are somehow an extreme danger to them. In anycase people rarely hear bells unless you give them a right clang. If you want to alert them to your presence then use your voice.

 

[summerdays]

Sometimes I feel as if the bell is demanding that they get out of my way... so I often change gear ... and see if they notice the clicks, and then maybe a good morning/afternoon and a smile.

 

[andyoxon]

Demanding...? I ping 'em from a distance, then say thank-you. If I find myself close and no one reacted - then I'd normally say 'scuse - rather than ping in their ear.

 

[Fnaar]

Further to my bell tinging post, may I also add that I too am inclined to engage in verbal pleasantries and pass the time of day... (lest it be thought that I was some bell-ringing quasimodothon-bell-evangelist type)... I just wouldn't sleep tonight!

 

[dodgy]

Chaps, you can't win this one, trust me. I regularly use a shared path called the Wirral Way. It's popular with dog walkers, pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders (though the horses tend to use a parallel path). If I approach a couple and ding my bell (yes, I do have a bell on my £2500 mtb ) then they react as if I have given them an order, if I wait patiently until they know I'm there they sometimes over-react for some reason (still don't know why) and often when I'm 50 yards up the path will shout "where's your bell".
This had been going on for years until I finally stopped after being shouted at and returned to the couple (it's nearly always a couple because usually the bloke trying to look protective in front of his wife). On reaching them, I asked them what their technique was for passing a horse on the road, "do you sound your horn?" I asked. "Of course not!" came the answer, so I went further, how do you let the horse and rider know you are there? "Well I wait patiently until they know I'm there and then drive past". When I point out that that is precisely the manouvre I just performed they looked puzzled and decided to take offence at me comparing them with a horse.

See, you can't win, but I continue to not sound my bell (thinking of removing it actually) and will wait patiently until my presence is sensed, then cruise past nice and safe and slow - just like I always have.

Dave.

 

[terry huckle]

Used mine on my last ride, a few days back.

Narrow country lane, horse and rider next to 4X4 ahead, stationary, with rider talking to driver.

A single "ting" as others have described, had the desired effect and they dispersed.....followed it up with the customary "coming through" routine when within voice range of the horse and rider, and a thankyou when passing.

 

[Jaded]

A bell is recognised as a bicycle noise. A voice isn't - coming through could be said by a walker, runner or cyclists each at different speeds.

In similar situations I've taken to ringing my bell slowly - it comes out quieter and less imploring - as a more gentle way of announcing my approach.

Mind you there are some walkers on the route I take that are surprised by my approach every morning, at roughly the same place. I've seen them be surprised by other regular cyclists too.

You'd think after several years of this that they'd have got the hang of shared paths!

 

[John the Monkey]

I saw no reason to ring the bell as I was passing no closer than six foot away from them and at a speed that was certainly not unreasonable for the shared path. If I had been going faster I would have slowed to pass them anyway.

It's one of those things that you can't win with. If you ring a bell, some will move, some will wonder what on earth that funny noise is, some won't hear it over the iPOD, some will accuse you of ringing it "aggresively" and some will jump out of their skins at the sound.

I say "On your left" or "bike behind you" generally, although the same range of effects takes place for that too.